The Impact
by shadowqueen15
Summary: Blinded by anger and grief, a depressed Makoto makes a choice that could possibly widen the gap between her and her sister, Sae.
1. Chapter 1

Her mind was blank. Empty. She didn't know what to do, or how to think. Okumura was dead. Why? It had never been this way before, and they hadn't done anything different this time around. They were just starting to gain confidence and popularity, only to have the rug ripped out from under them. It was degrading and discouraging, and they'd all had enough.

Ryuji was the first to leave, dragging his feet along the ground as he walked away from them. Ann followed shortly after. One by one, they walked away, until only Akira and Makoto remained. Makoto thought of going back home to her sister, and the taste in her mouth turned even more bitter. She was sick of being stuck there. Sae was barely ever home, and even when she was she spared no time for her little sister. She would remind Makoto to study, and only associate herself with good influences, and then she would crack her laptop open and type away on it, completely completely consumed by her work.

Makoto still remembered the time before her father died, when Sae's sense of justice had been as strong as his. Her sister had been idealistic and ambitious. If the cynical person that she was now had existed then, Makoto had never seen any sign of her. She remembered when her sister would come into her room every night before she went to sleep and sit on the edge of the bed. Sae would stroke Makoto's hair and smile softly down at her, before giving her a gently kiss on the forehead and rising to leave the room. She would be her goodnight with a fond, "Goodnight, kid."

It didn't matter now though. The sister that she remembered from those days was gone, caught up in the world of lies and manipulation that seemed to plague the hearts of so many adults nowadays. Makoto wished she could shed tears for her sister, but her memories felt sour now, tainted by her anger and resentment towards Sae.

"Goodnight, Makoto," Akira said to her. His eyes connected with hers briefly before he turned to walk away. Makoto stared at his back as he did so, captivated by him for a moment.

Emotion began to swirl around in her head, thoughts that she had never had before. She would likely have been ashamed and embarrassed of them at any other point in time, but she was so discouraged and downtrodden that she didn't really care. She made a split second decision.

She reached out and caught Akira's hand in her own. "Wait," she said softly. He turned back towards her, and his gentle eyes bore into hers once again. He was as handsome as he always was, but there was something different about him as well. The usual self confidence that permeated his face was completely absent, leaving him with an absent sort of look on his face. He probably felt as lost as the rest of them, but was trying to hold it together, for their sake.

For a few brief moments, Makoto said nothing to him. She merely stood there, his hand in hers, and stared into his deep gray eyes. Then, she spoke. "You could come with me," she said. "To my house."

His eyebrows shot up slightly in surprise. "I don't think your sister would like that," he responded, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Her eyes narrowed, her fists clenched. Sae. It always came back to her, didn't it? Sae had accused Makoto of controlling her life, but in reality it was the other way around. Makoto went everywhere with her sister's shadow hanging over her, her sister's voice in her head. She approached the future with her sister's shoes to fill, and she was sick of it. "She probably won't even come home tonight. She rarely does now," Makoto said bitterly. She looked up at him. "Please."

Akira gave a slight nod. "If that's really what you want."

That was all Makoto needed to hear. She tugged gently on his hand, moving in the direction of the apartment that she shared with her sister.

—-

When they arrived, the blackness that permeated the house disappointed Makoto initially. Sae really hadn't come home yet, and it was almost 1:30 in the morning. Disappointment was quickly replaced by relief when she remembered Akira's presence beside her.

She motioned towards the table. "Make yourself at home," she said. She walked swiftly into the kitchen and yanked open Sae's liquor cabinet. Her sister hadn't been a drinker until their father died, and Makoto still wouldn't necessarily classify her as such, but there were some nights were she would go immediately to this cabinet for solace, and then collapse on the couch with a drink. Sae had been piss drunk the night of their father's funeral. She had sobbed and called out for him, and held onto Makoto like a child. It was perhaps the last time that Sae had made her little sister feel wanted or useful.

Makoto pulled out a bottle of cherry flavored vodka, reached for two glasses, and went to join Akira at the table. She poured out a few shots for them, and sat down across from them. She could see the darkness in his eyes, and she knew that this wasn't just a low moment for her. They were all feeling the effect of everything that had happened. Akira grabbed his glass without a second thought and took a large sip.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, brooding. They each were hunched over the table, utterly defeated. As the two leaders of the group, they each felt a sense of responsibility for what had happened, and they wanted to reassure the others, as they usually did. But they could offer no comfort for their friends when neither of them were feeling right themselves. They were lost.

Makoto downed the rest of her drink, and then poured herself another glass. She drank until she swayed in her chair and the lights blurred together in front of her. She watched Akira from across the table, and she could see that he was buzzing from the alcohol in his body as well.

She stood up unannounced and stared at her friend. She could see the darkness in his eyes spread, and before she knew it, he was standing and approaching her, a predatory look in his gaze. He reached out for her face and captured her lips with her own, kissing her hungrily and possessively.

She welcomed it. She left one of her hands fisted in the material of his shirt, and let the other trail upwards and thread through his hair. He growled as she did so, and continued moving forward, pushing her backwards.

They managed to stumbled into her room, and she kicked the door closed behind them. He had her pressed back up against it in an instant, his lips moving down to her neck. She breathed heavily and moved her hands through his hair, overwhelmed. She could feel him bite at her skin and she gasped sharply. She knew he had left a mark.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes. Makoto felt utterly detached from the moment. It was as if she didn't even exist in her own body, as if someone else had control of her and she was just a spectator. "Do you want to…?" he asked tentatively.

She nodded before he even finished the question, and she pushed him back and reached for his belt. As she undid it, she thought of her sister, and how she always had such high expectations of her. Always expected her to score top of the class and listen to the teachers. Always wanted her to be the good girl. What would Sae say if she could see her now, as she reached into this boy's pants and grasped his dick? She felt a brief moment of hesitation, before she remembered how Sae, _her sister,_ had called her useless, a leech that ate away at her life. _Fuck_ that. Her resolve hardened.

She stepped away from Akira and undressed herself. She could see him frantically wrestling with his pants, struggling to get them off as quickly as possible. Their lips met again when they were done, all potential embarrassment washed away by the alcohol. He lifted her and dropped her unceremoniously on the bed before crawling over her.

When he moved inside her she lost whatever remained of her awareness of their surroundings. She didn't bother trying to be quiet as he moved, and she could tell he didn't care either. The headboard thumped rhythmically against the wall, and Makoto knew no sense of time. She knew nothing else but what was happening to her right now. Akira himself didn't even matter. All that mattered was what she was feelings, and the emotions and muddled thoughts that swirled around in her head.

Maybe she heard the door to the apartment open, maybe she didn't. She wasn't sure of anything anymore, after all. The last thing she remembered of the night was Akira finishing with a grunt and collapsing on top of her.

—-

She woke in the morning feeling like she had been run over by a tractor trailer. She groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes before opening them to take in her surroundings. The bed was in disarray, and her clothes were strewn about the floor. Akira and his belongings were nowhere to be found. Normally, she be insulted and upset by this, but as she thought about it she found that it really didn't mean much to her. Neither of them had been themselves last night.

She groaned and rolled out of bed. She gasped as a wave of dizziness and nausea hit her, and she had to cling to the wall briefly for support. She felt like shit. She threw on a pair of sweatpants and a t shirt before opening her door and heading outside.

What she saw once she left the safety of her room made her stop dead in her tracks. Sae sat straight up on the couch, staring at a small white slip of paper. She looked up slowly to lock eyes with her younger sister, her jaw clenched and her mouth set in a firm line. Makoto could tell that Sae was angry, perhaps more angry then she had ever seen her.

Her sister stood swiftly and threw the paper down in front of her. "What the _fuck_ is this?" She was practically trembling with rage. Makoto tentatively picked up the slip and read it. It was a letter from Akira.

Sorry Makoto, I hate having to leave like that. I don't want to be some dick who just uses you, because you mean so much more to me than that. But I just need to sort through some of my own shit right now. I'll call you later?

-Akira

Makoto slowly lowered her hand and looked back at Sae, who was standing with her arms crossed firmly. "So…what exactly are you asking me?" She asked nonchalantly. She moved into the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Sae yelled. "You think I don't know what this means? Who is this boy?" Makoto didn't answer. "Look at me!"

Makoto rounded on her. "Why does it matter? Why do you even care, Sae? It's none of your business."

"Everything that involves you is my business!" Sae exclaimed. "I'm your _guardian_ , Makoto! And I work too hard to have you traipse around like a whore behind my back!" Makoto flinched from her harsh words, but Sae didn't let up. She strode swiftly over to the table and brandished the bottle of liquor in front of her sister's face. "And _alcohol,_ Makoto? Really? What could've possibly made you act this way?"

Another wave of nausea hit Makoto, and she gagged briefly, turning her gaze away from her sister. "That's exactly the problem, isn't it, Sis?" she said softly. "The fact that you don't know. You have no idea how I spend my time, who I hang out with. I could be depressed, and you would have no idea. I could be a goddamn serial killer, and you still wouldn't know! You spend all your time at work, and when you are home, you make no effort to talk to me. Some days I don't even see you." Makoto took a step back from her sister. "So you have no right to ask about my life. Don't think you can just detach yourself from me, and then reattach whenever it's convenient for you. That's not how it works."

The rage on Sae's face had melted into one of sadness and disappointment, and Makoto knew that she had struck a cord. "Even so," Sae said. "That doesn't mean this is right. You gave up your viriginity, Makoto. It doesn't even seem like you were involved romantically with this boy until last night. How could you just throw away something so important? I wanted better for you." She said the bottle back on the table. "And the drinking? You're clearly sick. You could've ended up hurting yourself."

Makoto could feel her own anger began to dissipate, weariness taking it's place. "You would never understand how I feel, Sis," she said, but when she looked at Sae's face, she could tell she wasn't listening. Her sister's face transformed from sad to horrified.

"Please tell me," she began, her voice shaking. "That you used protection?"

Makoto's eyes widened, her heart stopped. No. They hadn't used protection. How could they have been so careless?

"Oh, god." Sae covered her mouth with her hand, before picking up a glass from the table and hurling it at the wall. The glass shattered into tiny pieces, and Sae collapsed onto the couch and buried her head in her hands.

Makoto backed slowly away from her sister, towards the door. She could feel bile rising in her throat, but all she could think about was her stupidity. How could this possibly have happened. She realized that this one small decision could ruin her life. It could ruin Sae's life.

"I'm so sorry, Sis," she said. She could feel hot tears begin to run down her cheeks. "You're right, I do just depend on you and give nothing back. I eat away at your life, and it would be so much better without me in it."

Sae removed her face from her hands, and Makoto was surprised to see that there were tears running down her face as well. In an outburst of emotion that Makoto hadn't seen from her sister in years, Sae got up from the couch swiftly and ran over to her, taking her face in her hands and wiping away her tears. She then wrapped her arms tightly around Makoto, pulling her close as they both sank to the ground. "No, I'm the one who should be apologizing," Sae said, her voice strained. "This is all my fault. I pushed you away and that provoked you into doing these things. I'm so sorry, Makoto."

Makoto buried her face in Sae's neck and cried. It felt so good to be comforted again. Sae nuzzled the top of Makoto's head. "I love you, really. More than anything. Please don't ever forget."

As Makoto listened to the beating of Sae's heart, she gradually calmed down. She remembered how bitter and resentful their relationship had been in the past few years, but she finally felt like she was getting her sister back.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey there guys! So in the short few days since I published this story, I've gotten quite a few positive reviews, favorites, and follows, so I'm thinking that I'd like to keep on writing. I don't think I want to do a full, chronological type of story, so I was thinking maybe just a couple of small stories revolving around Sae and Makoto (I absolutely adore their relationship) that aren't necessarily connect. Anyway, if you'd like what I've already written I'd like to hear your ideas, so you can pm me if you have any thoughts on what I should write next, or you can even write it as a review here. Whatever is easiest for you.

Thank you for your time!


	3. Chapter 3

"YOU'RE LYING TO ME!" Sae yelled, slamming her palm onto the desk. Akira didn't flinch, but continued to look her straight in the eyes, unfazed. She could see the intelligence and calm in his eyes, and in that moment she understood what her sister might've seen in him, why he might've been a good fit for her. But it didn't matter, because she hated this boy, this boy who had corrupted her sister and involved her in his games, who had jeopardized her life and taken her innocence.

"I know you're lying," Sae said, her chest heaving. "Because you were over my apartment that night, with my little sister." Her lips twisted bitterly. "I'm sure you remember, don't you? So don't bother with your stories, I have no patience for them."

His eyebrows had shot up into his hair, and she felt oddly satisfied with herself for having managed to catch him off guard. "You're selfish," she continued. "You used Makoto, and then threw her away when you were done with her. You could've ruined her life. You seduced her into joining your little group, and then into having relations with you. You're no better than those "twisted adults" whose hearts you were changing."

Akira's jaw had tightened, and his eyes had narrowed. The corner of her mouth twitched upward. She had hit a nerve. "I never used her," he said firmly. "She's my teammate, and my friend. I loved her. I still do." He coughed weakly and winced, his injured body betraying his weakness. "I would've never forced her to do anything. Everything that our relationship was, it was because she wanted it that way."

"You know nothing about love," Sae snapped. "Don't speak to me about loving my sister. You haven't sacrificed for her the way I have. So don't act like your actions are justified because of 'love.' You don't know what you're talking about."

"And what do you know?!" he yelled at her, his voice cracking. "She showed you nothing but love and respect, everything that family members are supposed to show one another, and how did you repay her? By calling her a parasite that ate away at your life." Sae flinched, her expression softening. She could see the tears filling Akira's eyes, and she knew he was becoming emotional.

"She idolized you," he said quietly. "The principle was blackmailing her a few months ago, did you know that? He wanted her to spy on the students at Shujin to try and find the Phantom Thieves. She didn't want to, obviously. But he told her that if she didn't, your position as a prosecutor would be put in jeopardy." He smiled fondly through his tears. "She didn't do it for herself, she did it for you. That's just the kind of person she is."

Sae had sat back down across from him, fists clenched, eyes wide. Speechless. "And," he continued earnestly. "When we first snuck into Sojiro-san's house, she got scared because it was dark and Futaba had been creeping around, avoiding us. She was clinging onto me, but do you know who she was calling for? You." He laughed harshly. "She wanted her big sister to come and save her."

Sae could feel her lip quivering, and her eyes began to sting. She blinked the tears away angrily. She hadn't cried in years, and yet here she was, letting this teenage _criminal_ get to her. "Does that make you feel nostalgic, Sae-san?" he asked, continuing to push her. "Does that make you feel _sorry_ for how you treated her? You haven't even heard the worst yet." He sniffled sharply, and then wiped the water from his eyes. "Before we stole Kaneshiro's heart, we had to find a way to meet him. Do you know how we did it? Your sister confronted a few of his men _alone._ She got them to take her to Kaneshiro. When we found her, they had her pinned down. Do you know what kind of place it was in? You should've seen it. Prostitutes around every corner. Hard drugs on every table."

Sae had moved her hand up over her mouth, mortified. No. Not her little sister. She would never act so recklessly. "You're lying," she repeated, but the statement lacked the conviction that it had contained earlier. "She wouldn't do that."

Akira gently inclined his head. "But she did. And she was threatened with being sold off, too. But it didn't faze her." He looked up at Sae. "You wouldn't have been able to live with yourself if that had happened to her. But maybe then you'd understand what effect your words had on her, how deep her scars ran."

Sae laid her forehead briefly against the table. She was amazed at how deep of an understanding this boy seemed to have of her sister, and she was envious of him. Envious of the kindness that he had obviously given Makoto when she needed it most. _She_ should've been the one that was there for her sister, not the delinquent who just moved into town.

But not only had she not been there for her sister to rely on her, but she was the direct cause of all her reckless decisions and depression. Sae had made her feel useless, unappreciated. Her mind lingered for a moment that Makoto, _her baby sister_ , had been threatened with being sold into prostitution. The thought made her sick, and she could almost feel the bile rising up her throat.

No. Now was not the time for such thoughts. She had already allowed herself to get too emotional.

She took a deep breath before raising her head and speaking again. "So tell me what happened next."


	4. Chapter 4

Akira stumbled as he and Sae started down the stairs leading to the courthouse. He groaned, leaning heavily on her. "Thank you, Sae-san," he said.

She grumbled in response. "Don't think this changes anything. I still don't like you."

Akira winced as he smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way." She led him over to her car and stooped down to help him into the passenger seat. He fell in unceremoniously, swearing under his breath when pain flared in his bruised ribs. Sae walked swiftly over to the other side of the vehicle and slid in.

"Fuck," she mumbled when she saw her boss ascending the steps into the building. She pressed the gas hard and whipped out of the parking lot.

Akira observed her from beneath his drooping eyelids, and the corner of his mouth quirked up in his signature half smile when he had an odd case of deja vu. "You drive like your sister," he stated.

Sae whipped her head around, her crimson eyes bearing into his. "What?"

"I said you drive like Makoto," he clarified. "She's a maniac on the road. So are you."

"Stop it," Sae responded, shaking her head. "Stop talking about my sister. It won't make me like you, it won't even make me desire to speak with you. It just irritates me."

"She believed in you, you know," Akira said seriously. "Our whole plan revolved around me being about to convince you. _Everything_ hinged on your sense of justice. I was incredibly skeptical at first, I have to admit." He turned his head to look at her. "I mean, why would I put my life in the hands of a woman who had absolutely no reason to believe me, and probably hated me? But she was convinced that you would have a change of heart. And you did."

Sae eyed him quietly, and decided against responding. But she felt her heart swell when she heard that Makoto had believed in her, despite her pushing her away, and even insulting her. She felt her eyes begin to sting. She remembered how incredibly close she had been with her sister when they were young, and she couldn't believe that she had given that up for her job. She had a lot to make up for.

She pulled up behind the cafe. "We're here," she told Akira. She got out of the car and stepped around to his side, reaching down once again to assist him. He slipped his arms over her shoulders and hoisted himself up, grunting. They slowly made their way around to the front of the cafe, stopping right before the threshold. Sae steeled herself before opening the door.

Inside the cafe sat the owner, along with the rest of the Phantom Thieves. They were sitting in dead silence, and it was clear that they were all exhausted, both physically and emotionally. For the moment immediately after Sae and Akira stepped into the cafe, time seemed to stop. The ragtag group inside stared at them for a moment, almost in disbelief. Then, cheers erupted from teenagers, and they surged forward to hug Akira.

Akira laughed and ignored his battered body as his friends all but tackled him. Makoto moved around the mass of bodies and rushed towards Sae. She threw her arms around her shoulders and buried her face in her big sister's neck, like she did when she was younger. Sae embraced her just as fiercely, overcome with emotion. "I knew you could do it," Makoto whispered. "I knew you could change."

Sae kissed the top of Makoto's head before pulling away, smiling fondly for the first time in a while. She gently moved her thumb over her sister's cheek before looking up to address the rest of the group.

—

After being briefed on all the details of the Phantom Thieves' plan, Sae and Makoto rode home together. "I'm impressed, Makoto," Sae told her. "That plan was unbelievable."

"You were the key, Sis," Makoto responded. "You made it work. You're the reason Akira is alive."

Sae scrunched up her nose and looked at her sister. "I still don't like him. He's a cocky brat. You could do better."

Makoto sighed and shook her head, but there was a smile ghosting her lips. "He's a great person and a great leader, and you would like him if you got to know him. But I don't even know what the deal is with us. We're friends first and foremost, and what happened a few weeks ago was an…odd occurrence."

Sae raised an eyebrow. "I certainly hope so. It was irresponsible."

"I'm aware, Sis. But cmon, you must've done you're fair share of immature things."

"Oh, we are not having this conversation right now! I'll have you know I was…"

—-

Before long, they arrived home. They had both enjoyed the ride home immensely, and Sae was pretty sure she hadn't laughed that much in years. Makoto yawned loudly when they walked inside and collapsed on the couch immediately. Sae sat on the edge of the couch and looked down at her, threading her fingers through her brown locks. "I'm so sorry, Makoto," she said. "I'm so sorry that I've been such a horrible sister for so long. There's no excuse for it. I love you, you're the only family I have left, and I've just been pushing you away."

Makoto opened her mouth to speak, but Sae frantically shook her head. "I don't deserve you're forgiveness, but I'm going to ask for it anyway, because I'm too selfish to live with the consequences of what I've done. I want another chance to make it up to you. We'll account for all the years that we really didn't get to spend together."

"Sis," Makoto said, her voice thick with emotion. "Of course I forgive you. You came back to yourself when it really mattered."

Sae smiled at her affectionately before poking her side. "Alright, move over!" she said playfully. "Make room for me on there."

"Sis, stop! You know I'm ticklish…"


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey again, guys! So here's another update to this story. Sorry I don't make that many updates; I have trouble coming up with ideas tbh. So again, if anyone has any ideas for what I can write, please let me know! I'm always open to suggestions. It doesn't necessarily have to be connected to this chain of events.**

 **Anyway, please enjoy!**

For the first time in a long while, Sae Niijima sat at the kitchen table, glass of wine in hand. She sighed and took a sip. Wine always helped her relax, whereas hard alcohol helped her forget. She couldn't even remember the last time she had opened a bottle, and as far as she was concerned she was making up for lost time.

Since the situation with the Phantom Thieves, she's felt liberated. Sae was now making it a point to spend more time at home, and focus more on her justice than her career. Looking back on the last few months, she felt ashamed at how she had acted. She knew her father would be so disappointed if he could've seen the way she approached her job, and the way she treated her sister. _I'll never shame you again, father_ , she vowed. Never again.

She checked her watch and took another sip of wine. It was eleven thirty, and she was beginning to grow apprehensive. Makoto and her friends had gone into Shido's palace to try and change his heart; she knew this. Yet they should've been back by now. She didn't know what could possibly be holding them up. If something happened to her now, when they had just fixed their relationship…no, she couldn't think about it.

She drained the glass on got up to pour herself another. "I'll be trashed within the hour if I keep this up…" she said, laughing humorlessly. She walked over to the couch and sat down with a groan. She flicked on the tv and surfed through the channels mindlessly, trying unsuccessfully to take her mind of off her absent sister.

The door swung open abruptly, and Sae was on her feet within seconds. Makoto walked in, and kicked her shoes off at the end of the hallway. She looked tired. There were circles under her eyes, and she had a gash on her right arm and her cheek. "Oh, hey Sis," she said. She offered a weak smile.

Sae shot her one in return, and then swiftly walked over to her, setting her wine glass on the table. She took her sister's hands in hers and led her over to the couch, and then went into the kitchen and took another wine glass from the cabinet. She filled it up, and then sat beside her sister. Makoto's eyes widened as Sae handed her the glass. "Sis!" She said incredulously.

Sae waved her off. "You look like you could use it. And besides, it's just us here, so it doesn't matter," she said. Her eyes narrowed. "And besides, it's not like you have no experience."

Makoto gave her a sheepish look and scratched the back of her head, before taking a tentative sip of the wine. Sae brushed the cut on her cheek with her thumb. "What happened?" She asked.

"Oh, it's nothing…" Makoto said. "We ran into a little trouble, but nothing we couldn't handle."

Sae shook her head at her sister. "You were probably being reckless." She retrieved the first aid kit from the bathroom, and then opened it on her lap. She wet some gauze with peroxide, and Makoto hissed as she gently patted her cheek with it. "So how'd it go?" Sae asked.

"We didn't steal his treasure yet," Makoto said. "But we umm…ran into Akechi."

"That bastard," Sae muttered. "Did he do this to you?"

"He did," Makoto told her, nodding. "But he's dead now."

Sae stopped what she was doing. "Dead? You're sure?"

"Yes," he sister told her. Her lip quivered, and tears spilled from the corners of her eyes. "We killed him, or we might as well have."

Sae opened her arms, and Makoto fell into them. She shushed her quietly, and stroked her hair. "He was so young," she said. "And it's a shame that his life turned out this way. But that is not your fault, do you hear me? None of this is your fault. Whatever his circumstances, he made his own choices. He was too far gone for you to save, so don't blame yourself."

"I know," Makoto sobbed. "But it never felt like this before. Not even with Okumura, and he died too. Akechi was a friend at one point."

Sae pulled away from her and gently wiped her tears with her thumb. She then cut away Makoto's ripped sleeve so that she could tend to the gash on her arm. "It's good that this isn't too deep," she said as she dabbed the blood away. "You don't need stitches."

"Sis, you worked with Akechi, didn't you?" She asked.

"I did."

"What was he like?"

"Well," Sae began. She wrapped her sister's injured arm with cloth, and then sat back on the couch. She sipped her wine, as did Makoto. "He was nosy and definitely a little irritating, but he was also brilliant. A truly remarkable detective, especially at that age." She looked her little sister in the eyes. "I think he just wanted to be loved. He was rather fond of me, and I think it was because I would at least give him some attention. In that respect, I can understand him. I think we have it hard because of Dad, but I still have you, and you're everything. I can't imagine what it would be like to have nothing."

Makoto nodded. "I understand, too." They sat in comfortable silence for a while, sipping their wine. When Sae finished her glass, she stood up, swaying a bit. She filled it once more. Makoto eyed her apprehensively. "How many glasses have you had, Sis?"

Sae rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. "Oh, I don't know, fifteen?"

"Oh, very funny," Makoto said sarcastically, but she was giggling. "You're drunk."

"I'm certainly getting there," Sae admitted. She collapsed on the couch and dramatically leaned on her sister. "You might need to put me to bed this time! By the way, feel free to open another bottle."

Makoto smiled at her but made no move to get up yet. Sae could see that despite her efforts to cheer her up, Makoto was still thinking of Akechi. She nuzzled the side of Makoto's face affectionately for a moment before sitting up straight, and flicking through the tv channels again. "Cmon, let's watch a movie," she told her sister. "You're done applying to colleges, so we can afford to loosen up a bit. Pick any one that you want, even if it's Yakuza."

For the first time that night, her sister smiled genuinely.


End file.
